Steddie one shots

Royalty
Steve wakes up with memories that aren’t his own. It’s like he’s been reborn or something. His memories don’t make sense, he doesn’t feel at home in his own mind. He feels like he has possessed someone that isn’t him, yet when he stands up and looks in the mirror he recognizes himself. There are a few things that don’t immediately make sense. His room is way bigger than he expected, there are no pictures, only portraits and paintings. The walls aren’t covered with anything, they’re just brick walls. He finds royal robes in his closet and suddenly he remembers that he’s a prince. A prince who’s supposed to marry a woman tonight to forge an alliance between their two countries. He remembers how he doesn’t love her, how he feels like this arrangement is unfair, how he argued with his father about it, how he felt the consequences of it. Something is missing, though, an important piece.

Someone is knocking at his door and before he can answer Robin barges in with food. She flops down on his bed and starts complaining about all the things she has to do now the king has decided Steve is to be wed. Suddenly she realises Steve is being quiet.

“What’s up, Steve? You seem off.”

Steve just shook his head. “Something is missing. I don’t know what, it just doesn’t feel right. None of this does.”

“Steve, I love you, but you’re not making sense. It’s probably just the stress of having to spend the rest of your life with a woman you don’t love. I would happily take your place, you know, Nancy is unfairly hot.”

Steve laughed at her, throwing a pillow at her. “I’ll be no competition if you were to enter the game. Please crash my wedding, you can marry her.”

Robin looked at him. “Don’t tempt me, I will.”

Steve laughed. He walked to the window and stared outside. He recognized his kingdom, yet it all seemed new to him. He knew where to go, but had no idea how he remembered it. He felt like his memories of this place were more like a dream.

Suddenly there were screams heard throughout the castle. Something was going on and Steve needed to be ready to defend himself and the ones he loved. Dustin came running to his room, exactly what he was supposed to do in an emergency situation. He had brought the other kids with him, Max, Will and El were huddled behind him as they found a place to hide. Dustin was the one to report what was going on.

“Robbers. They’re invading the castle. They don’t seem to be loyal to any country, but their goal is clear. They’re here for you. They’re not scared of collateral damage, though.”

Dustin seemed horrified.

“What did they do?” Robin was scared too now, not ready to fight.

“They cursed a couple of guards on their way in.”

“They have magic?” Steve yelled out.

“Yes, well, their front man has magic. He used some potions, apparently a witch with a vendetta against the king helped him. Either way, we don’t stand a chance.”

Steve started pacing around his room. “We’re not safe here. The staff will sell me out if they’re being threatened by magic and if the staff won’t, my parents will. Robin, take the kids and run away from here. Make sure they don’t get hurt. I will find my own way out. You will all be in danger if you stick with me. We’ll meet up by the outpost at the end of the forest, it’s far away enough for these men to give up tracking me. If I’m not there by tomorrow night, don’t come for me.”

“But Steve-”

Steve shook his head. “No. I won’t let you get hurt on my behalf. I’ll be fine. Robin, the kids are priorities here. Will, you know what happens if I don’t make it. You’re the rightful heir, we’ve talked about what you have to do. I know you’re strong enough to do it.”

Will was Steve’s nephew, Steve’s older sister had given birth to him in secret, afraid of what the king would do to him if he found out there was another heir. Steve’s father had murdered every possible heir except for Steve, so no one would challenge the Harrington reign. Will had been raised by a servant, Joyce, who raised him to be king one day. Steve knew he didn’t want to continue the Harrington line so he helped in preparing Will to take over from Steve as soon as his father had died. Will was a better leader, always has been. He’s too young to take over now, but when the time is right he’ll step up. It makes Steve believe that even if something happens to him, the kingdom will be fine.

“Dustin, Max, El, follow Robin. Don’t get any crazy ideas, if I find out you’re trying to help me with any of this, or so help me god if you follow me, I will make sure you never get to see the light of day ever again. You have to let me go, it’s the safest way.”

They all nodded and took one of the secret passageways in Steve’s room that led straight to the stables from which it should be smooth sailing to the outpost. Steve had to take a different route to keep them safe, he would do anything for those kids, he would do anything for Robin.

He heard some people rushing to his room, he knew it was time to go. He stood in the window frame and looked down. He saw that it wasn’t far enough to be lethal or even all that dangerous and quickly made his choice. As the locked door was being opened by something that Steve felt so strong it could only be magic, he dropped himself out the window. He heard the man who had just entered screaming at his lackey’s to get down there, but Steve was already on the run. He knew the secret paths, he knew the ways in which to escape. However, if he wanted to keep the men outside of the woods for as long as possible to keep them away from the kids, he had to take a long route in which he would definitely be seen. It was his purpose to be seen by as many civilians as possible, one of them was bound to sell him out. He knew he was putting them in danger, but whether he was seen or not, the villagers would be interrogated anyways. Better let them sell him out than suffer the consequence of genuinely not knowing where he went. He ran through the main streets, knowing which shortcuts to take to still outsmart whoever was actually on his tail.

He didn’t remember running down these streets before, but he must have, because he knew everything he needed to know to be traceable yet unfindable.He was hiding at the edge of the village, too far from the forest to make a run for it with these men still there. He heard a voice he was sure he recognized behind him. He knew he shouldn’t recognize it, considering he had never seen the men chasing him before in his life, but he did recognize it. Almost like a deja-vu.

“Oh, Harrington! Where are you? Best come out here soon, we have something of yours.”

That voice was bothering him way too much. He knew it, but he couldn’t possibly. What did the man have anyways, he saw the kids leave with Robin. Even they wouldn’t be stupid enough to get caught this quickly.

“Save it, Munson. He doesn’t care about me. This is an arranged marriage, he wouldn’t sacrifice his life for me.”

The man, Munson apparently, started laughing. “You are a poor judge of character. Harrington, I have your fiancé. All you have to do is come out and I’ll release her. I promise.”

Steve knew he shouldn’t, that if it was him they were after he shouldn’t give himself up so easily, but something in him couldn’t just let his fiancé, his future wife whether he liked it or not, be sacrificed for his sake.

He slowly started to get up and walked towards where the voices were. He walked out with a sword in his hands, still standing by an exit only he knew about.

“Let her go and I’ll come to you. I’m not stepping any closer until she gets released.”

He could see Nancy roll her eyes at him. “Steve, what are you doing? Run, your life is more important than mine. We have another heir, you don’t.”

Steve laughed. “Nancy, you don’t understand what I’m like. I’m an idiot, that’s something you should know if we ever do get married. Now, hand her over or I’m leaving. You only found me because I wanted you to find me. I’ll be untraceable next time you let me out of your sight.”

The man, still holding Nancy, laughed at him as he took a step forward.

“I’ll release her as soon as you can’t escape so easily anymore. I’m not an idiot.”

Steve scoffed. “You sure look like one.”

The man let go of his grasp on Nancy but she didn’t move. Nancy stayed still. Steve took a step forward and Nancy seemed to be pushed forward by magic with every step he took. When Steve was close enough, the grip on Nancy was released and she ran off. Steve was surrounded before he could even blink. He started laughing when he caught a glimpse of something familiar.

“Why are you laughing? It’s over.” The man said, now standing in front of him. Steve kept on feeling like he knew him. He seemed so familiar. The man in front of him was tall, not that much taller than himself, had long black curly hair and was way too handsome for the position he had Steve in. A man who looked like that would be someone Steve would remember, which is why it was strange that he didn’t fully recognize him yet felt like he knew him. Like he knew him in a different life.

“No one is coming for you, your people were all too happy to sell you out, do you really think they’ll help you?”

Steve laughed again, seeing exactly what was about to happen.

“Stop laughing, you’re surrounded, no one here likes you enough to help you, there’s no reason for you to be all cocky with your laughter. You best not piss me off.”

Steve looked directly at the man in front of him, putting on a mask to hide how terrified he was that what was about to go down would go horribly wrong. The mask he used was the one he used to gain respect amongst the councilmen he often had to put in their place. Using his full royal authority usually ticked them off but made them obey him. It seemed to mainly piss off the man in front of him, but he couldn’t care less.

“You are underestimating my charm, sweetheart. You see, your men have been to focussed on me. And now it’s too late.”

A smoke bomb went off, right besides Steve, making him invisible to the many men surrounding him. He could hear their leader, Munson or something, screaming in frustration that they should look for him. Steve’s hand was grabbed by the little girl he loved like a sister. El moved him through the smoke, right to a secret passageway that led them over the river surrounding the town Right before he was completely out of reach, a courtesy of Robin, who set the fucking bridge on fire, he caught a glimpse of the robber. He thought he saw recognition in his eyes, something Steve felt too. There was a weird connection between Munson and him, he wasn’t the only one to feel it.

“I will find you again, Stevie.”

The man screamed the name at him and Steve felt like he was being sucked into a different dimension. It all seemed so familiar, like he was finally grasping at something, but the universe decided he wasn’t allowed to. He felt like he got knocked out the moment the name reached his ears.

Pirates
Steve woke up and felt immediately disoriented by the movement of his entire body. He stood up and nearly immediately fell over again. The swinging of his room confused him, until he tasted salt on his lips and felt a breeze come in through the now open door to his cabin.

“Steve! You’re awake again! Man, Dustin really knocked you out. I was worried for a second. But then again, you’ve suffered through enough head trauma to survive a knock from a paddle from a clumsy teenager.”

Robin walked into his room holding a map she was completely absolved in. Steve had a bit of trouble realising exactly what was going on until memories started to flow into his mind again. They didn’t feel like his own. He felt like he should be in a castle, no, on the run from the castle. Someone was chasing him.

“I had the weirdest dream. I had to flee a castle because this random guy decided he wanted to kidnap me. You and the kids were there, rescuing me in spite of me telling you to leave. The guy seemed so familiar..”

Robin laughed at him. “That’s not the weirdest dream you ever had. You getting kidnapped and us not listening to you are two very realistic situations. You know we’re sailing in treacherous waters, pirates are everywhere.”

Steve just looked at her confused. “Robin, we are pirates.”

Robin looked up at him with a disappointed look in her eyes. “Yeah, no shit dingus. You don’t have to tell me. Now help me with this stupid plan, we can discuss your dream another time. It is said that the treasure is buried on Isla de Muerta. Now, no map shows that island, but it is believed to be right about here.”

Robin pointed in between two smaller islands, which they would probably use to navigate their position.

“We are here right now.” She pointed to a spot close to the first charted island. “We need to go west and keep going. Isla de Muerta looks like death, hence the name. The two surrounding islands are just your regular, lively islands so we should be able to see if we’re right about the position of the treasure. Now, I need your help with convincing the crew to not take any of the money. If they take it, they’ll get cursed. Our only job here is to make sure no one ever takes the gold, in other words, we’re blowing that cave up. El somehow learned how to bury things deep underground, so she’ll do that first. After that, we’re making sure everything is covered with enough stone for no one to ever get to it. We saw what happened to the last crew who took the gold, we’re preventing that happening to anyone else.”

Steve nodded, clear again on what their mission was. “As the captain I’ll order them to leave the treasure, it won’t bring them any fortune. Where do you need me during the blowing up of the cave?”

Robin took a deep breath, thinking everything over before responding. “We genuinely only need El and a few other guys, let’s say five to be sure, to help us set up for the explosion. The rest of the crew, including you Steve, are staying on the ship, close enough so we can easily reach you. You’re the defending party. The island is small enough to see if a ship is coming from whatever side, if there is you have to defend the island until everything has been taken care of. There’s a ship that’s apparently been following us since Tortuga. They stayed far away for it to not cross our radar until Jonathan did his weekly check in the surrounding areas and saw the same ship more than twice. If you see a ship, attack. No one can come close to the island, understand?”

Steve nodded, taking in every single detail of the very delicate plan. They had been set on destroying this treasure ever since they ran into some old friends a few years ago. They had been obsessed with this ancient Aztec treasure that was supposed to be big enough to let the entire crew live the rest of their lives in peace. Their friends seemed unnaturally pulled to it. About a year later they ran into the same crew, only they were hiding out in light sources, not moving to the dark. Steve and Robin asked them why they were acting like that. One of them took a step in the moonlight and what they saw was horrendous. They had all turned into living skeletons, living but dead. They were breathing and talking, but couldn’t consume or feel. They couldn’t fully die, not until every part of the treasure was back in its place. Steve and Robin had helped them find every piece, but they set out for Isla de Muerta on their own. They knew what seeing the treasure had done to them, they knew they would die, they didn’t want Steve and Robin to be around for it. They left them their ship, they left them directions to Isla de Muerta and made them promise to destroy it once and for all. It had become their life goal to do exactly that and they would not let anyone stand in their way.

Steve took a deep breath and made himself ready to speak to the crew. They were almost at their destination and they needed to be prepared. He stepped outside of his cabin and immediately saw the crew standing in front of him.

“We need five volunteers to go to the island and set up the explosives.”

Some crew members raised their hands. Steve knew who to trust and picked out five people to join Robin and El. He picked out Dustin, Will, Jonathan, Joyce and Argyle. These people were also the ones who didn’t want to fight, who took a backseat whenever something was going on. He knew he could trust them to not take any of the treasure, but he still had to give his speech to the rest of the crew.

“Only these people, who will be joined by Buckley and El, will be allowed to step foot on the island. The curse on the treasure is not something to take lightly, which is why we devoted this journey to destroying it. I expect all of you to take this cause seriously. If I see anyone else leaving the ship, or god forbid, step foot on the island, the curse of the treasure clearly doesn’t scare you enough. Let this threat be enough for you: anyone who leaves this ship without my clear permission, will be shot immediately when spotted. Don’t try anything, Nancy will be in the crow’s nest and we’ve all made the error of underestimating her before. The consequences won’t be good for you, so listen to me. The crew that stays here will defend the island. No one besides the seven people leaving for the island once it’s in sight is allowed within at least 30 feet. If you see a ship you tell me. We’re not killing strangers, unless they’re adamant on choosing death by stepping onto the land of Isla de Muerta. Am I understood?”

Most of the crew somewhat grumbled until a gunshot was heard from the crow’s nest, the bullet hitting the wood of the ship precisely in the centre of a drawn target. Everyone stared up at the girl in the crow’s nest, blowing off smoke from the pistol. “He asked you if you understand. Answer him.”

Steve smiled at Nancy and she smiled back at him. He adored who she had become since joining him and his crew on this journey. He used to know her as a royal’s daughter who was a stickler for the rules, but when her little brother and his friends joined Steve, she knew she had to come. She had become the fear of every single crewmember, always demanding respect. Like now for example. Every crew member responded to Steve with an ‘Aye captain’ after Nancy’s little stunt.

Everything seemed to be going well. Robin had found Isla de Muerta and had taken her small crew to take care of everything. Steve was on lookout, together with everyone on the ship. They were ready to sail out if needed, but for now everything was quiet. No one had tried to leave the ship yet, everyone was scared by Nancy and her guns. Everything was going too well. Steve was beginning to feel uneasy in his own mind. He knew he had anxiety, but this was something different. The feeling from that morning had come back. A little red haired girl he saw as his little sister approached him as he was almost getting sucked in by his thoughts.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Steve laughed. “You don’t want to know. You’ll just call me crazy.”

Max feigned offence as she hit him lightly against his arm. “Tell me. I love crazy, why do you think I’m friends with El? Also, I’m worried about her so I need your craziness to distract me.”

Steve laughed once again at her. He took a deep breath and started talking. “I don’t feel right. It feels like I’m not supposed to be here. Or more like, I’m supposed to be here but I’m not fully here. I remember everything that has happened, I know all my memories, yet it feels more like I’ve seen them somewhere else than that I actually lived them. It feels like I’m some different version of who I actually am.”

Max looked confused at him. “Dustin hit you harder with that paddle than I expected. This is crazier than your normal crazy. Are you like, okay?”

Steve scoffed. “What, are you worried about me, Mayfield?”

Max hit him again. “No, asshole, you’re just crazier than normal and I don’t want it to screw everything up.”

Steve just laughed again. “It’s okay, I’ll be fine. It won’t impact anything. El’s safe, by the way. She can completely protect herself. She’s almost as scary as Nancy.”

Max nodded in agreement when Mike came running towards them. “A ship has been seen on the other side of the island. We need to go there now.”

Steve immediately started giving orders as Max went to do her tasks. Nancy was still in the crow’s nest, spying to see if there were any smaller boats leaving from the ship to reach the island. No one yet. The other ship was still relatively far away, but they couldn’t act fast enough in a situation like this. As soon as they were close to the other ship, canons were being fired at them. Steve ordered the crew to not yet fire back to see if the other ship would stop when they saw the non violent act.

The other ship sailed closer to them, throwing entering hooks onto their ship. Steve ordered the crew to cut all but one of the ropes, making sure they could control easily who entered their ship. Whoever was in charge on the other ship seemed to get the hint and only send one man over. He was young, only two or three years older than Dustin and his friends. Steve was standing at the front, the rest of the crew was behind him or manning other sides of the ship to avoid a takeover.

“My captain would like to speak to the captain of this ship.” The young boy said, clearly pretending to be far more confident than he was. Steve stepped forwards, making sure to basically radiate authority. He needed this young boy to understand exactly who he was and who was in charge here.

“Let your captain know I would love to receive him on my ship.”

The boy shook his head. “The captain would like to speak with you on his ship.”

Steve laughed and the boy somewhat shrunk into himself, clearly not completely in his place.

“Listen, here’s what you tell your captain. If he wishes to speak to me, he, and only he, can come aboard my ship. If he doesn’t want to talk, we’ll fire back. It doesn’t matter to us. The only reason we haven’t torn you to shreds is because we wanted to give you a chance to solve this in a civil matter. But, we are pirates, and we aren’t scared to use violence. See that girl up there in the crow’s nest? She’s the best shot we have on this ship. See that hole right in the middle of the target? She made that right from where she is sitting now. Do you think she’ll hold back once I give her the go ahead? Everyone on your ship will be dead, and we won’t even have to destroy your ship like you tried to do to ours. We’re a real threat, so if your captain wants a word, he’ll do it on our terms.”

The boy nodded and climbed back towards his own ship. He saw him talking to a man Steve swore he recognized. He took a look at the ship in front of him, which he had never seen before. Steve tended to recognize ships, not people, which is why it was weird for him to recognize this man’s face, yet he was sure he had never seen the ship before. The boy was basically getting yelled at by the man, which was quite rude, Steve had to admit. The man, presumably the captain, climbed down the rope and entered the ship.

“Captain, I presume?” The man nodded at Steve. A glimpse of recognition was to be seen in the man’s eyes which just confused Steve more. He had to have seen the man before.

“Captain Harrington.” Steve stuck out his hand. The other man shook it. He was about the same height, but his hair, topped off with a real captain’s hat, made him appear taller. That and the platformed boots he was wearing. Steve wasn’t intimidated, but he would’ve been if this wasn’t a situation in which he clearly had the upper hand. Everything was thought out, every crew member had their task, nothing would go unnoticed.

“Captain Munson. I heard you were quite obnoxious to one of my crewmates. Quite the attitude apparently. That’s something I can appreciate in a handsome man like you.”

Steve scoffed and he heard some crew members behind him laugh. Steve was aware of the fact he was perceived by many as handsome. He knew it was one of his strengths. Many assumed this must mean he has a gigantic ego, many believed that in flattering him they could get on his good side.

“Oh please, flattery won’t get you anywhere with me. You’re not the first to try. State your business here.”

Munson smiled at him as he leaned against the railing behind him. “I can see why my poor crewmate couldn’t keep it together in your presence. You’re annoyingly authoritarian, the kid’s got a problem with that. However I don’t. I’m the one who wanted to talk to you, why don’t you state your business here.”

Steve rolled his eyes and he swore he could see a glimmer of something he could use in the other man’s eyes. “Look, I’ll tell you the same thing I told that boy of yours. You’re the one who wanted to talk, you’re the one who started firing, you’re the starter here. However, I don’t owe you anything. You don’t have anything over me. I don’t value this conversation, you clearly do, so how about this: I ask you a question, you answer and maybe I’ll let you ask me a question.”

Munson shook his head lightly as he chuckled. “God, you're annoyingly handsome. It’s making this twice as hard as it needs to be with your whole fuck around and find out attitude. Fine, I’ll play by your rules. We’re here for what everyone wants. The treasure of Isla de Muerta.”

Steve laughed. He fully laughed, knowing it would piss the other man off. The crew got where he was going with it and started laughing at the captain.

“Why are you all laughing?”

Steve signalled the crew to shut up as he regained himself, the attitude easy to slip back into.

“See, you do as I say and you get rewarded. I’ll answer that question for you. We’re laughing because you’re foolish enough to go after that treasure. We’ve seen first hand the damage it causes, we know better than to take it. Honestly, I had hoped you would be smarter than chasing a treasure like this.”

Captain Munson stood straight up, clearly done with being ridiculed by a bunch of strangers. Something changed in his demeanour and if Steve had any fear left after everything he’d been through, then maybe he would’ve been scared by the man. Instead he just rolled his eyes as the other man spoke.

“The curse is an obvious scam. Magic, especially dark magic, is not a thing that exists. And if it did, a treasure like the one on Isla de Muerta would be worth it.”

Steve scoffed again. “God, you really are an idiot. Not believing in magic as you live on the sea might be the most colonial thing I’ve heard in my life, and half of my crew grew up as colonials. You have to believe in something like magic if you want to stay alive in this world. How much of a rookie are you in the pirate world?”

Steve was now just pressing as many buttons as he could, if only to stall the departure of the other captain until the cave and treasure had been blown up. Mike came subtly walking towards him to whisper about suspicious movement on the other ship and a sighting of one of the lifeboats from the other ships being prepared.

Steve started laughing again. “Captain Munson, you keep disappointing me. Nancy, you know what to do.”

Nancy took a shot and they heard a scream from the other ship. Munson turned around to see what was happening, only to see a bullet hole right through the lifeboat the crew was preparing.

“Next time we catch you trying to leave, Nancy won’t aim for the boat.”

Captain Munson seemed to be having enough of this whole thing, which Steve could understand. If he was in the other man’s shoes, he would be frustrated as hell.

“What are you even doing here anyway if you don’t plan on taking the treasure?”

Just at that moment, Steve caught a glimpse of light from the corner of his eyes. A sign from Robin. He looked over and saw a small boat leaving the island.

“Wait just a second and you’ll see.”

With a loud bang, followed by all kinds of birds screeching and flying up from their resting spot by the beach, the cave and attached hill came collapsing down. Enough explosives were set off to make the island unrecognisable.

“See, Mr Munson, not believing in magic won’t do you any good. What we just did there was collapse the cave containing the treasure, but not before burying the treasure using the powers of a girl who could fold your ship in half with a snap of her fingers. You can dig for the rest of your life, but you’ll never reach the treasure.”

Anger seemed to boil under the other captain’s skin as he took a step closer to Steve. “This isn’t over. I will find you again, and when I do I’ll be sure I can take you down, Stevie.”

Munson seemed just as confused as Steve by the mention of the name. That name, it set everything off in Steve’s mind again. He wasn’t where he was supposed to be, the man in front of him was the key to where he needed to be, but he couldn’t remember, he could never remember. He felt himself being sucked away from his current reality, like he was never supposed to be a part of it anyways. He heard a faint scream as he faded away.

Revolution
The screams continued on as the spectacle happened outside. Another rush of memories flashed before Steve’s eyes and he knew again. Steve knew he was going to die today. He was aware of the death of his parents, he was aware of the death of his further extended family. Everyone he knew that had even a droplet of royal blood running through their veins was either already dead or about to meet their untimely death. The thing was that he didn’t feel sad about it. He didn’t cry when they told him his parents were gone. He didn’t cry when he saw one of his aunts getting beheaded, he didn’t cry when they arrested him, locking him in a cell and forcing him to face the consequences of his bloodline. Steve didn’t blame the people for rebelling, hell, he had even rebelled a little himself. He knew the revolution was coming, knew the next phase was breaking political prisoners out of the prison he was supposed to guard. No one had to know he secretly unlocked a couple of doors and loosened a couple of chains. No one would know except for the ones that already knew, the ones that he had freed.

He just hoped Robin and Dustin wouldn’t blame themselves for his death. They were part of the revolution, but had begged every superior they could to not execute Steve, that he was one of the good ones. Of course they didn’t believe the two teenagers. Steve had made his peace with the fact that he was going to die. He just hoped the people he was leaving behind could find it within themselves to move on.

He heard the lock on the door being turned and a sense of relief flooded over him. It would all be done soon. He wouldn’t have to worry about anything anymore. Steve was going to die and when he did, he was going to great death like an old friend. Only there was just one man standing in the doorframe. Only one man to bring him to the guillotine, only one man to accompany him in his last moments. Even in his execution he wasn’t special enough to deserve more than the minimum.

“You look defeated.” The man’s voice sounded familiar. Steve knew he had seen and heard him before. He looked up and suddenly it hit him.

“You are one of the prisoners I set free, aren’t you?”

The man scoffed and nodded. “Thanks for that. However, don't expect any mercy from me.”

His words were harsh but his voice was like honey, sweet and addicting. Steve couldn’t shake the feeling he had had when he had freed the man all those days ago, the feeling that he was familiar. Like Steve had known him once, in a different life. The man standing in front of him was beautiful. Steve knew he was about to be brought to his execution, which was exactly why he let himself look at the man in that way. If these were his last moments, the least he could do was appreciate pure beauty when he saw it.

“I’ve made peace with my fate, I don’t expect mercy from you.”

The man in front of him scoffed again. “God, you make it hard for me to hate you. I should’ve never listened to Henderson. I shouldn’t have come here.”

Steve’s head shut up and suddenly there was a spark back in his eyes. A spark, not of hope but of purpose. “You know Dustin? O my god, wait, you’re Munson aren’t you? Eddie Munson?”

Eddie rolled his eyes but a small smile was hidden behind his irritated façade, Steve usually noticed those things in people. “That little shit told you my name? He told a royal what my name was? I’m not surprised I ended up in prison.”

Steve scoffed. “Believe me, I’m not the reason you were in there. Your name was known to the royals well before Dustin told me who you were. You stirred up quite a fuss.”

Eddie shot him a glare. “And I would do it again.”

Steve laughed. “Please do. It was quite a while since something interesting happened before you started rebelling. I have nothing but respect for your actions.”

Eddie looked at him all weird before stepping forward until he was basically towering over Steve, who was still sitting on the floor. Eddie had probably meant to look intimidating, but not a whole lot was intimidating to Steve anymore. What did a couple of beatings matter if he was going to die anyways? He had not been a pleasant prisoner, he was aware of that. It wasn’t that he was rebelling or being difficult, he just refused to let the guards get to him. He wasn’t afraid of them and that’s what they couldn’t handle. They wanted the royals to quiver before them, now that they had their lives in the palms of their all too violent hands. Steve just acted aloof whenever someone tried to intimidate him, and the thing was, it wasn’t even an act. Steve was so used to threats, he didn’t find anything all that intimidating anymore. Especially not considering he had already made peace with the fact he was going to die, who cared what else happened to him beforehand.

“You’re quite insufferable. Why aren’t you scared?”

Steve looked up at Eddie and smiled, which only seemed to anger the other man more. “Like I said, I have made peace with my fate, nothing about it scares me anymore, I’m going to die anyways.”

Eddie rolled his eyes at him. “Well, some people aren’t that quick to surrender. Robin and Dustin begged me to talk to you, to see for myself that you weren’t like the rest, that you were worth saving.”

Steve scoffed.

“Prove it to me.” Eddie said, looking more serious than Steve had seen him since the other man had entered his cell.

“Prove what to you?”

Eddie reached down and lifted Steve’s chin up so he was forced to look at the other man.

“Prove to me you are worth saving.”

Steve started stuttering. “I- I don’t- I can’t-”

Eddie bent down, only a couple of inches in between them now.

‘Prove. It.”

Tears started forming in Steve’s eyes as he looked at the other man. Eddie had broken him, no one else had made him cry in a very long time but Eddie had just done it. Steve tried to think of something but couldn’t think of a single reason for the man in front of him to spare him.

“I can’t prove it to you.”

An unrecognisable emotion passed along Eddie’s face as he got even with Steve, still holding on to his chin, forcing Steve to maintain eye contact.

“Why can you not prove it to me?”

Tears were now silently running down along Steve’s cheeks. He thought of his life so far. He hadn’t done too many bad things, he wasn’t necessarily a bad person, but he also wasn’t a good person. There was no special value to him, no reason why he should be spared when others weren’t.

“Because I don’t think I’m any better than any of the other people that were executed today. I’m not special enough to be granted a pass. I don’t think I’m a bad person, but that’s irrelevant in a situation like this. I’m not this hero Robin and Dustin are making me out to be, I’m just a regular guy with a winning lottery ticket as a bloodline, who has taken advantage of that for his entire life. I’m not a bad person, but I’m definitely not a good person either. I can’t give you the proof you need because it doesn’t exist.”

Steve had stopped crying halfway through his monologue. All there was left was this deep rooted pain, but Steve knew he wouldn’t be able to get it out, even if he tried. Eddie seemed to feel some kind of sympathy.

“Goddamnit. Okay. Stand up.”

Steve was confused, Eddie rolled his eyes at his confused expression and basically pulled him to his feet, undoing his chains just like Steve had done for him all those days ago. Steve was still not sure if he was being brought to his execution or if he was being set free.

“I’m helping you get out, now follow me.”

Steve made no effort to follow him yet. “Why are you helping me?”

Eddie sighed. “Any other royal would’ve given me a shit ton of reasons why they deserved to survive, talking others down and revealing all kinds of secrets in hopes they can be of value, to show us they’re useful. It starts the moment we enter the cell. I entered your cell and you didn’t even bat an eye. I asked you to prove to me that you were worth it to be saved and you showed me you’re completely aware of your privilege. You showed me a sense of self I have never seen in a royal before, you showed me you’re capable of seeing the flaws in the very system we are protesting against. You're not like the others. You helped me escape, not out of fear for your life, no one threatened you, Dustin and Robin told me you knew they were storming the prison that day and yet you didn’t call for extra enforcement, you didn’t set a trap, you helped us. I’m repaying you. But, I could lose my head for this so please, for the love of god move along. Dustin and Robin are waiting for you.”

Steve followed him, still in shock but not really knowing what else to do than just do exactly as the other man told him.

“You know, Harrington, in another world we would’ve been an unstoppable couple.”

Steve choked on air and Eddie smirked at him. “What, that’s not a fun thought for you?”

Steve got some of his charm back as he was sneaking through the halls behind Eddie, being saved from an execution brought a lot of his original energy back to him.

“Oh, no, it’s a very fun thought. I just don’t think you could handle me.”

“Oh, the boy’s got words now. You better shut it, sweetheart, or we’ll get caught.”

Sneaking through the halls wasn’t too much of a struggle, they only nearly got caught once and when Eddie pressed Steve against a wall to stop him moving forward, he got the strangest sense of deja-vu. He was pretty sure a situation like this had never happened before but he got a flashback so vivid it was almost creepy. Eddie with a bottle pressed against Steve’s neck with a wall right behind him. It was a quick flash but it was there. Eddie seemed confused for a second as he looked at Steve. He shook it off and dragged him along the hall.

“Steve! O my god, he saved you! Let’s go, we don't have much time. Thanks, Eddie, I owe you.” Robin threw herself at Steve as soon as he was in sight. She helped him on the wagon, Dustin was in there as well, Robin immediately climbed on as well and started to make sure the horse was ready to leave. Dustin threw himself at Steve the second he was within his reach. “You’re an idiot. I love you.”

Steve laughed. “I love you too, kid.”

Eddie smiled at the three of them and directed his attention to Steve once again. “I’ll see you again, don’t think I won’t find you, Stevie.”

There he goes again. The feeling started to feel familiar. He got sucked away again, getting a short glimpse of the different lives he had lived as he was thrown into another one with no memory of this version of Eddie. The one who had saved him.

Detective
As Steve woke up he immediately noticed the trail of paper cluttering his desk. It took him a while to realise he wasn’t about to die, although he couldn’t exactly remember why he had felt like that in the first place. He wasn’t in direct danger, not yet. He looked around and realised what was going on, the papers cluttering his desk were from a case he was working with Robin. Robin was checking out a lead and he was supposed to stay here and look for more clues in the evidence they had already gathered. He remembered looking at something that had caught his attention and quickly found it again. A bundle of letters, addressed to the victim whose murder they were investigating. They were signed by E.M., which could only be Steve’s long standing nemesis Eddie Munson. Robin would call him crazy, but Steve recognized his dramatics in the letters, and knew the man well enough to know what he was like.

The door opened and Robin walked in, excitement visible in her expression. She had made a breakthrough.

“We need to go, like, right now. I looked into those letters you’re so desperately holding on to, I found one in the victim’s house, freshly on the doorstep, with a meeting time and place. We’re meeting E.M. Tonight, then you’ll see once and for all that Eddie Munson has nothing to do with any of this. Your obsession is getting out of hand, even your landlady says it.”

Steve rolled his eyes at her. “Don’t gossip about me with Mrs. Hudson. You’re her favourite, it’s unfair. Just wait until N.W. shows up again, let’s see how cool you can keep it then, huh?”

Robin lightly slapped him with the letter she was still holding. “Let’s go, dingus, there’s a very impatient driver outside waiting for us.”

Steve got his stuff together and ran out of his apartment. 221B Baker street, belonging to Steve Harrington, or his alias in the papers, Sherlock Holmes. People loved to think he was the mastermind behind the operation, and he was smart, but Robin was the real mastermind here. Steve was more her sidekick than she was his, but the late 19th century wasn’t that positive about female power just yet. They got in the carriage and it took them to an abandoned match factory. Robin was clearly pumped. Steve felt uneasy.

“Are we early?” Steve walked around the factory, gun in his hand but not yet loaded.

“Calm down, Steve. Whoever killed poor Ms.Cunningham wouldn’t be dumb enough to show up at a pre-established meet up spot. Carver would love to believe that whoever E.M. is was her murderer, but it’s too obvious. A murder like this clearly requires someone with way more tact. E.M. probably doesn’t even know she’s dead, considering the letter was dropped off this morning.”

Steve calmed down slightly until he heard the sound of a door creaking. A tall man stepped into the light and Steve started laughing. Robin groaned.

“Harrington? Buckley? What on earth are you doing here?”

Robin just walked backwards, too frustrated to talk. Steve stepped forward, getting closer to Eddie. He already knew Eddie, but seeing him like this gave him a weird feeling. Like he should know him in a different way than he does. Eddie Munson is the head of a drug empire Steve had been trying to take down for ages, but since Eddie is supplying to the big leagues he has hit kind of a wall.

“We know you had a meeting with Ms. Cunningham tonight, we found the letter on her doorstep this morning along with a bunch of other letters signed by E.M. Robin’s over there because we had a bet going. I knew it was you, she said I was being delusional. Well, here we are.”

Eddie slightly smiled. “Do I make you delusional, sweetheart?”

Steve felt as if his brain and body weren’t cooperating as he tried to formulate a response, Robin just laughed at him and joined the two of them.

“Are my suspicions correct, Buckley? I don’t suppose you’re both here because Chrissy is happy, healthy and alive..”

It suddenly got quiet and Eddie seemed to take it as an answer. “I thought so. She was hanging around some dangerous people and then suddenly she wasn’t responding to any of my letters.”

Steve cleared his throat. “I’m sorry for your loss, but you were arguably one of the last people to see her alive, we’re going to need a statement.”

Eddie seemed to regain himself all too quickly. “What do I get if I help you with this case?”

Steve snorted. “What do you need and why do you need it? You never offer to help, you only ever meddle.”

Robin hit him lightly. “Couldn’t he just want to help us solve the murder of his best friend?”

Steve shot her a look. “Under any other circumstances I would believe that, however, he immediately wants to know what’s in it for him, which means that whatever can help us endangers him.”

Eddie smiled softly. “There’s the Sherlock Holmes the papers are telling me about. What did they call me again? Moriarty? That’s far more interesting than Munson. I must say, the way they write stories about the two of us, you could easily pick up on some homoerotic subtext.”

Steve rolled his eyes at him. “That’s all you, love. Now, what is it you need?”

Eddie took a deep breath. “I might know who killed Chrissy, but in catching the bastard we’re going to have to piss off some people that will want revenge on me when this is done. I need full immunity, a new identity and a place in Wales or something.”

Steve thought it over for a second. “Robin has family in Wales, they have a spare room, we’ll get you shelter for a couple of days and a new identity. You can find yourself a place to stay for longer. Deal or no deal, we don’t need your help anyways.”

Eddie started laughing. “Fuck, you have an attitude today. Deal, I really need that new identity. Now follow me, I’ll show you where to go.”

Steve and Robin both followed Eddie outside. Robin started whispering at Steve to make sure Eddie didn’t overhear them.

“Why on earth would you say we don’t need him, we really, really do Steve. What if he had walked away? There goes our case.”

Steve smiled at her. “Robin, dear, you underestimate me. Eddie is scared, we’ve never seen him like this. We have the upper hand, he needs protection, he’ll take whatever we have to offer. Whoever killed Chrissy is probably going after him next.”

***

The three of them were running through the streets of London, being chased by some incredibly large men they pissed off by entering a highly secured piano lounge to talk to some mob boss who owed Eddie money. The large men were supposed to be securing the place so people like Steve and Robin (Read; detectives with evidence against them) couldn’t get in. But Eddie had pulled some strings, had dressed both Steve and Robin up to look like proper members of whatever club was hosting an event there at that time. Robin had blown their cover when a man started flirting with her. Luckily Eddie had already gotten the information he needed from the man, but now they were being chased by his lackey’s.

After a few turns they lost the men and Steve was finally able to catch his breath. “That was a suicide mission. Do you want to get us killed? You took us to a place filled to the brim with people that would love to get rid of us.”

Eddie just sighed, more out of breath than Steve was. “Sweetheart, you would’ve been fine if Robin hadn’t blown your cover. The only reason we’re running away from that place is because she couldn’t talk to a man to save her life. Literally.”

Robin got a very angry expression on her face as she walked towards Eddie. “We get it, I’m a lesbian disaster and I blew the mission, but you have no idea what it’s like to be a woman in a situation like that. That man was not just some man, he is a known rapist Steve and I have been trying to get behind bars for years. He keeps getting away because people like you.” She poked at Eddie’s chest with her finger and he seemed slightly intimidated by her. “People like you do anything to keep fellow criminals out of prison, it doesn’t matter what they have done, as long as none of your little crime buddies rat you out. You’re so fucking selfish. You wouldn’t last an hour in my position, you have no idea what it’s like for women out there and you clearly don’t care.”

Eddie stayed silent as Robin went to stand beside Steve. He pulled her into his side and she allowed herself to be embraced by him.

“Robin..”

Steve held up his hand. “Don’t. Not right now. Let’s just go, we’ve got a murderer to catch.”

***

Back in the abandoned match factory the three had set up the perfect trap for the murderer. Eddie had sent more letters to the Cunningham residence, stating that he had cracked the case they had been working on together. That he knew who the mole in their organisation had been. Chrissy had been working to find a mole in Eddie’s organisation who was spilling the intricate details of his operation to other mafia members. Chrissy had been too close, too present in the wrong circles and had gotten herself killed. Eddie was bait, he was meant to lure out Chrissy’s murderer with a letter stating where he would be waiting for her so he could reveal his findings. Whoever had killed Chrissy would have to go back to her apartment once the news about letters being found would get out, news about a mole was in earlier letters as well so he would be found out if more letters would be found. Steve had tipped off the media with the earlier letters, so the murderer would definitely see them.

Now they just had to wait. Eddie was sitting beside Steve, robin on the other side of him. She was still mad at Eddie and it made everything so much more awkward. Steve couldn’t blame her though, he only knows half of the things Robin has to deal with as a woman in this field and he already feels horrible for her. To have someone disregard her situation like that must be incredibly frustrating.

“Robin, I’m sorry. You made a lot of valid points, I’m an asshole. You didn’t blow the mission. I should’ve looked out for you in there, I’m just not used to working with women. I often didn’t understand Chrissy either and look how that ended. I’ll do my best to be more mindful of the situations of the women I work with.”

Robin smiled at him but still didn’t speak to him. Eddie looked defeated. Steve took his hand and led him away.

“Just give her time, this isn’t about you specifically. Sometimes it’s just hard for her. Also, I wouldn’t worry about her liking you or not, I believe we’re sort of meant to be rivals at best, enemies at worst.”

Eddie laughed. “You wound me, Steve. I don’t see you as my rival.”

Steve looked up at him, clearly confused, which made Eddie laugh even harder. “How do you see me then?”

Eddie took a minute before responding. “I see you as this handsome but annoying man who seems to be obsessed with me.”

Steve just smiled at him. “So you think I’m handsome?”

Eddie turned slightly red. “Did you not hear the annoying part?”

Steve shook his head. “See, I suffer from something called selective hearing. I only hear what I want to hear.”

Eddie laughed again. “You’re pretty irritating, Harrington.”

“All I could hear was you calling me pretty.”

Eddie shook his head and took a step closer to Steve. “Oh the things I would do to you if I had the chance.”

Steve felt his cheeks flush and tried to take a step backwards but Eddie stopped him. “What’s the matter, sweetheart? Can’t handle the homoerotic subtext?”

Steve chuckled. “Like I said, that’s all you, love. Now move, we need to get in position. Just sit there and look pretty for me will you? Robin and I will be right behind you.”

Eddie got flustered now and Steve pulled him back to where Robin was sitting. “It’s time Robin, let’s hide.”

“Well, well, if it isn’t Edward Munson.”

A deep voice sounded across the room as a large man entered the factory.

“I’m not going to lie, I didn’t think you would be stupid enough to send physical evidence to Chrissy. The police think you did it, you know? They think you used the mole as a reason to draw Chrissy away from the safety of her home so you could kill her. Wouldn’t it be nice if I brought them the man they’ve been trying to get for years? Maybe they’ll make me into some kind of hero. You saw what they did with the Harrington kid, Sherlock Holmes, what a joke.”

Eddie slightly laughed but Steve saw his expression change. “Billy, shut up. I know you killed her. She got too close to figuring you out so you had to get rid of her. You have been giving Brenner all of our information for ages. What does he give you? Does he finally give you the fatherly attention you have been longing for all these years?”

Steve rolled his eyes. Eddie always let things escalate with his words. He just had to get Billy to confess. They had the head inspector from Scotland yard somewhere in the wings, if he heard Billy confess it would be enough.

Billy charged forward, nearly hitting Eddie but Eddie was too quick and dodged the hit. “Just admit you killed her, you absolute fucking bastard.”

Billy somewhat growled as he charged forward again, this time hitting Edde square in the jaw. Eddie fell backwards and Billy was on him in no time.

“I’m going to enjoy this, Munson. Almost as much as I enjoyed murdering that fucking Cunningham kid.”

Steve, Robin and Lestrade all came out of hiding at that exact moment, charging at Billy and overpowering him in seconds. He was cuffed and led away in a few minutes. Robin went with Lestrade after giving Eddie a quick hug. Steve knelt down beside him.

“Let me see that.” he tilted Eddie’s head to the side, inspecting the place where Billy had hit him.

“It’s not broken, for all his body mass you would say he would have more strength. He clearly doesn’t know how to use it to his advantage. All rage, no brains.”

Eddie held Steve’s hand, which was still on Eddie’s face. “Do you have everything ready for me to leave?”

Steve nodded, handing Eddie fake identification papers. “You are now Ian Adler, a maths professor from Oxford university who came to Wales looking for a job that would be a little easier. Your background has been wiped, even I wouldn’t be able to find you if I didn’t know where you were going.”

Eddie smiled at him. “O come on now, sweetheart, you know we’d find each other everywhere.”

Steve stared into Eddie’s eyes, the other man stared back and before either of them really realised what the other was doing they were leaning in, slotting their lips together. Hunger took over as Eddie’s lips parted and Steve deepened the kiss by pulling Eddie impossibly closer. Something about kissing Eddie was familiar, like he had done it before. He knew he hadn’t. He had thought about it plenty of times, but he would remember if he had actually kissed the man. Still it felt too familiar. All those thoughts left his brain as Eddie sucked on Steve’s bottom lip. Steve went up in the moment. They stayed like that for what seemed like hours. When they finally pulled apart Eddie just smiled somewhat sadly at Steve.

“Homoerotic subtext, Stevie.”

There was that pull again, only this time his memory stayed intact. He remembered everything. The castle, Eddie the bandit. The ship, Eddie the pirate. The cell, Eddie his saviour. The murder, Eddie, his lover. The real world started seeping through again as well as he was sucked out of his current reality.

Hawkins, Indiana, 1986
Steve woke up next to Eddie on the ragged old couch in Eddie’s trailer. Eddie was slowly waking up beside him. Memories that finally felt like his own flooded into his brain. He was on the couch in his boyfriend’s trailer, having woken up after falling asleep on the couch. Eddie made a sound to let Steve know he was awake now.

“Good morning Sweetheart.”

Eddie smiled at him and pulled him in for a kiss. “You’re hot as a prince. Also as a pirate. Also as royalty chained up in a fucking cell. Also in that cute little detective outfit. You’re just hot I guess.”

Steve laughed at him. “What the fuck just happened. Were we having the exact same dream?”

Eddie shook his head. “Last time I looked at the clock it was 2:30 am. It’s currently 2:31. We can’t have dreamt all of that in one minute. There’s also no way we slept for an entire day, Henderson doesn’t leave us alone for long enough. I think we travelled through different dimensions. Some kind of glitch or something. I don’t know, man, a lot of supernatural shit has happened before.”

“We kept finding each other, even if we despised each other, we still found a way back to each other.”

Eddie nodded. “I would find you in every alternate universe to ever exist, Stevie.”

For once, he wasn’t sucked away. He was back in his own reality and he couldn’t be happier.